Mr. Speaker, as members will probably recall, in June the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development issued a report on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act entitled "It is about our Health". It is a parliamentary study that aims at pollution prevention in the interest of public health. It was made possible because of extensive hearings with over 100 witnesses from all walks of life in all parts of the country. As a result of that, the committee recommended major changes to the existing act, commonly known as CEPA, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
The changes to the act, which in essence deals with toxic substances, are necessary because at the present time the legislation is too slow in protecting the public from toxic substances. For instance, the complete toxicity assessments for 13 out of the 44 substances placed on the priority list in 1988 have not yet been done. In addition to that, of the 26 substances found to be toxic, only three, those related to chlorofluorocarbons, chlorinated pulp effluents, and PCBs, have been subjected to regulation.
In addition, problems related to enforcement, problems related to biotechnology products, problems related to the role and lifestyle of our aboriginal people, in particular in relation to environmental protection, and problems related to the management of Canada's coastal zones have not been resolved by the act as it exists at the present time. To address these problems, the committee called expert witnesses, scientists and native people, industry, professional organizations, et cetera, to ensure their recommendations would have sound expert support.
The committee's recommendations reflect the principle of sustainable development as set out in the red book, Creating Opportunity , which was produced in 1993 during the federal election. In addition to that, the committee's report builds on three cabinet documents; namely, the government's toxic substances management policy, the strategic framework for pollution prevention, and the guide to green government. The last one was signed and endorsed by all members of cabinet. Therefore, the report of the committee has as its foundation three substantial documents produced by the present government, and quite rightly so, in support of sustainable development objectives.
To conclude, the report is based on the concept of pollution prevention. The accepted norm for environmental protection policy
in industry and governments in the western world is therefore in that report. Every witness before the committee urged that the government adopt pollution prevention, shifting away from the costly approach of reacting and curing to the more efficient approach of anticipating and preventing.
I see that my time is up. I thank you for your indulgence.